Vik Patel is a man driven by two different business passions: the fast breakfast fare of Dunkin’ Donuts and the upscale bar atmosphere of craft-beer emporium The Brass Tap Bar & Grill. Through his Purple Square Management company, Patel oversees 22 Dunkin’ units and, now, his first Brass Tap...

In October, coffee giant Starbucks revised its employee appearance policy that marked some body adornments off limits. The news gave the industry a moment to consider the links between employee dress and branding and morale.
Starbucks baristas previously could not display any facial piercings or...

Guests who walk into the Wetzel’s Pretzels store at Downtown Disney in Anaheim, California, will notice something different about the store. Its digital menuboards quickly switch from product photos and information to short animated films, not unlike the style of old Walt Disney shorts.
All of the...

After working nearly 30 years in television syndication selling off-network reruns and first-run TV shows, Paul Danylik made a bold shift.
He sought out a new career and a franchise to take on, knowing that comfort food was a good bet for long-term success. A longtime fan of Handel’s Ice Cream...

It’s fair to say that 2014 has been as eventful a year for quick-service restaurants as the industry has seen in quite a while. Changing demographics and sharper competition have sparked a variety of innovations, but also exposed some weaknesses. And the unrelenting march of technology is changing...

As the executive pastry chef at the White House during George W. Bush’s second term, Thaddeus DuBois cooked for world leaders, dignitaries, celebrities, and political powerbrokers. Now the award-winning culinary artisan is dishing up tasty treats for the masses at the Borgata Baking Company located...

After 39 years in the quick-serve industry, I still find it a privilege to do what I do. This is such a rewarding business for those who are willing to put in the time and the effort. I remember working at Mike’s Subs, the local sub shop on the Jersey Shore, when I was 14 years old. After about...

This summer, Canadian coffee chain Tim Hortons made quite the splash: The brand covered one of its Québec locations in blackout materials to promote its new dark roast coffee. Equipped with night-vision goggles, employees handed guests samples of the brew, and the action was all captured in two-...

Smoothie Factory Juice Bar, a leading retailer of real fruit smoothies, fresh cold-squeezed juices, and nutritional products, enjoyed a record year for growth and development in 2014, adding 20 new locations for a total of 52 locations under its new parent company, BRIX Holdings, LLC.

Meatheads will be offering a special hot dog on its menu this spring, the Bickell Dog, created in honor of Chicago Blackhawks Left Winger Bryan Bickell, his wife Amanda, and their charity, the Bryan and Amanda Bickell Foundation. The foot-long Vienna Beef hot dog is topped with chili and Fritos...

Recent severe weather has many operators nervous about the potential effects on commodity prices. But Dewayne Dove, vice president of risk management for SpenDifference, a chain restaurant purchasing cooperative, says there might be some relief ahead for operators.

Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop announced the upcoming arrival of their first-ever Illinois location, broadening the company’s national presence to 17 states and federal districts. Franchisees Andy Poch and Craig Garofalo will be operating the new restaurant, projected to open in late 2015.

Though U.S. consumption is well below other proteins today, seafood will likely be an increasingly important part of the American diet in the years to come. The country’s population is predicted to grow by 89 million between 2010 and 2050 to 401 million people. More people require more food—and...

Convenience stores are increasingly taking a larger slice out of the quick-serve pie with fresh food offerings. It’s become such a lucrative business for C-stores that Sheetz, the Pennsylvania-based C-store chain that this week opened its 500th location, is planning stores designed more as fast...

While the fast-casual category continues to be the fastest-growing industry sector, the road in 2015 will be bumpy. We will see constant change and challenges around every corner. For industry leaders, there are issues that will keep even the most seasoned executive awake at night.
Here is my top...

When Lori Newcomb found out she had stage III ovarian cancer last year, she made it her mission to learn more about the disease and help other women fighting the same battle. She sat down with her husband, Chris Newcomb, cofounder and CEO of Southern quick-service chain Newk’s Eatery, and together...

Kevin Kester’s family has been farming in the U.S. for generations. And it’s not just a couple of generations they’ve been farming; more like generations upon generations, way back to the 1600s, specifically in California since the 1860s. Today, Kester owns a 22,000-acre beef cattle ranch in...

When fast-casual chain Zoës Kitchen Inc. debuted on the New York Stock Exchange last April, the Plano, Texas–based Mediterranean-style eatery recorded its initial public offering at $87.5 million. Satisfying an investor appetite for investments within the trendy fast-casual space, Zoës’ strong...